Story by Sam Byrd and Andrew Bell
Amidst hugs, tears and heartfelt goodbyes, the early morning drop-off at Rice University marked a significant milestone for the newest batch of freshmen and their parents. The 7 to 11 a.m. arrival period left just enough time for parents to bid farewell and send their children off to begin their college journey.
Balancing excitement for the future with a touch of wistfulness, parents watched with cautious optimism as their children stepped out of the nest and into their residential colleges Aug. 18. These newly minted Rice Owls are ready to embrace independence and scholarship and embark on a transformative journey.
Michael Yuen ‘89, a member of the Rice Board of Trustees, dropped off his son Ethan at Will Rice College and encouraged him to “enjoy this moment and expand your horizons.”
“I’m smiling the whole time because everyone is so nice,” Ethan said. “I’m looking forward to making new friends.”
The Yuen family’s sentiments reflect the excitement and anticipation felt by many incoming freshmen as they begin O-Week, Rice’s dynamic weeklong orientation. The program is designed to help new students get acquainted with their campus, residential colleges and classmates. Upperclassmen enthusiastically welcomed the newcomers with cheers and chants, then assisted them in moving their belongings into their new homes.
“This is very intense but very exciting,” said Blake Brown, an incoming freshman from Fort Worth who will be living at Duncan College. “It’s the start of a new chapter, and it’s going to be a fun one.”
“As a mom, when you find a college that your kid has always wanted to go to, you’re not sad because you’re so excited,” said Laurie, Blake’s mom, as she hauled boxes of her son’s belongings to his new room. “It just means all of his dreams are coming true.”
The newest parliament of 1,163 Owls is a diverse one, with 29% from historically excluded groups, not including international students. Another 14% are international students, hailing from 42 countries. The class also includes students from 46 U.S. states, including Washington D.C. and two territories.
The energy of welcoming the new class was palpable across campus, reaching all the way to President Reginald DesRoches. He and wife Paula spent the morning greeting students and parents at each of the 11 residential colleges, sharing in the joy with countless photos, handshakes and high-fives.
“This is by far my favorite day of the year, just to see how we welcome our students,” DesRoches said. “It's indicative of the family that we have at Rice and how we treat our students. The O-Week team spends the entire summer preparing for this and a lot of effort goes into it, but it certainly pays off.”
Newest Owls arrive
Lexi Tarlue, an incoming freshman from Delaware majoring in kinesiology, made a memorable entrance on move-in morning. As the very first student to arrive at Jones College, she set the tone for an important day filled with new beginnings.
“I never thought I would go to a school so far away, but I also feel so comfortable,” Tarlue said. “I was the first one here, and everybody was cheering and it was just so nice to see everybody helping me move in.”
A track and field athlete with aspirations of becoming a doctor one day, Tarlue said there was no place better than Rice to achieve both her academic and athletic goals.
“I was a part of the QuestBridge program which is a need-based scholarship for low-income students,” she said. “I'm from an immigrant family that has always pushed academics, but I also started track at a young age, so I knew I still wanted to be a student athlete. I wanted to be able to show that on a bigger stage like Rice.”
Incoming freshman Jaden Alleman said the day was “unreal” as he unpacked at Wiess College. “It feels great to finally be able to be here,” he said. “I've known about the Rice community for a long time. To be able to finally experience it with all the advisors and my peer groups is amazing. I can't wait to get started.”
The many volunteers who welcomed the students shared the same enthusiasm and desire to make the transition as smooth as possible.
“The transition into college is really stressful in general, so having a community that is ready to welcome you, it shows that the students at Rice care a lot about the incoming class,” said Jennie Le of Baker College.
Parents say goodbye
As parents bid adieu to their budding scholars, they did so knowing that Rice is the place where they will flourish. “She's going to be loved and taken care of,” said Annabel Ohman’s mother. Ohman is a freshman in Baker College.
Luay Nakhleh, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering, experienced a unique milestone as he dropped off his daughter, Beck, at Sid Richardson College. Despite his 20-year tenure at Rice, this was his first time participating in move-in day. “Today, I’m here as a parent, not as the dean of engineering,” he shared. “I’m incredibly excited for her.”
Duncan College President Annie Cian, taking a break from jumping and hollering for arriving freshmen, said she’s looking forward to passing down the longtime traditions that come with her storied residential college.
“It reminds me of when I first moved in as a freshman, and it was so exciting — just so much energy,” Cian said. “So we want to pay it forward and give all the new Duncan students the same energy and vibes that we all got.”
O-Week is one of many initiatives that aids incoming students during their transition to their college years. Other initiatives include Owl Access, a college transition program that provides first-generation and limited income students a head start on college adjustment. Owl Access participants moved onto the campus in advance of O-Week to familiarize themselves with campus resources and to receive the information and tools to support their success.
O-Week will continue with other activities including learning about the many traditions at the residential colleges, enjoying the President’s Welcome Party, cheering on the university’s athletic teams at Rice Rally and much more.
Rice O-Week participants are encouraged to include #RiceOWeek2024 on their posts and videos. For a full schedule of O-Week events, click here.
(Video by Brandon Martin)